PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Lily Cuticchia can light up any room with her sparkling eyes, curly, red hair and rosy cheeks. But she’s got a lot more going for her than what meets the eye. At the age of 8, this little girl is already making big things happen.
With the help of her mom, Jordan Warner, and some loyal supporters, the South Jersey native and soon-to-be third grader organized a bake sale over the summer. Her cupcakes, cookies and lemon bars — plus a few in-kind donations — raised more than $2,000.
So what does an 8-year-old do with all that money?
She bought 200 book bags and filled them with care items, which she then donated to patients that her mom works with at Cooper University Hospital’s Center for Healing.
"I knew we were going to put, like, hand sanitizer, masks and stuff in there. We also added blankets, socks, toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, body wipes," said Lily, "and a stuffed animal."
Warden says that was the special touch of kindness that took the cake for many patients.
"They were so so happy. There was one lady who was crying. And I told Lily, I said, every single person mentioned the stuffed animal. So that was their favorite part," said Warden.
This isn’t Cuticchia's first time at the rodeo. Last year she donated more than 1,200 pairs of socks to the hospital.
Her mom won’t take all of the credit, but Lily gets her inspiration from the work that Warner does treating patients with substance abuse disorders at the hospital. Warden credits her daughter with the bright ideas.
"She has all the ideas, and we just support her and let her go with it," Warden said.
She says those ideas make a world of difference for the lives they encounter.
"A lot of our patients face a lot of stigma and judgment. They may not have anybody in their corner at that moment. So to see that other people care about them and that they’re supplying these things that they know they need, I think it’s encouraging for them to keep going, to keep getting better and to keep trying."
The family hopes to keep the generosity going every year, which Warden says wouldn’t be possible without Lily’s support circle.
"Everyone in her life is very supportive — and all those donations we get and everyone helping set up the backpacks — it’s nice to have that help, because it shows her that she has these goals — she’s not only meeting them, but she’s exceeding them. And it’s just good motivation for her to keep doing it."
"I mean, my goal was only to get, like, 1,000 socks, though," Lily said. "And then I got 1200 instead."
Lily has advice for others who want to make a difference in the world.
"You can do whatever you want, but you can’t just do it by yourself."
She has kindly offered her philanthropic skills for advice and strategy. To find her, just go to Cooper University Hospital and ask for their youngest honorary staff member — with the bright eyes and the big heart.